1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a printing apparatus and a printing method.
2. Related Art
In the related art, an ink jet printer performing print by using ink that is cured by applying an electromagnetic wave such as ultraviolet rays (hereinafter, simply referred to as “ink”) is known. In a technology disclosed in JP-A-2012-96407, in order to cure the ink, an applying device is provided for applying the electromagnetic wave on both ends of a print head ejecting the ink and on a downstream side in a transportation direction of a printing medium. An inkjet printer in JP-A-2004-167918.
If the electromagnetic wave is applied on a region outside the printing medium, there is concern that the electromagnetic wave is reflected to an unexpected portion such as a nozzle surface of the print head. For example, if the electromagnetic wave is incident on the nozzle surface of the print head, there is concern that a nozzle may be clogged by curing the ink inside the nozzle. Thus, in the technology disclosed in JP-A-2012-96407, the applying device is controlled by dividing into a plurality of units in a moving direction of the print head and the applying device is controlled to be turned on when the unit of the applying device is in a drawing region by every unit, and the applying device is controlled to be turned off when the unit of the applying device is on outside of the drawing region.
However, if the control of turning on and off is performed by unit, there is a problem that a control system becomes complicated. Furthermore, if the applying device is turned from off to on, it takes time until intensity of the electromagnetic wave reaches a target value. An integrated amount of the applied electromagnetic wave is decreased and, as a result, printing unevenness may occur in an end portion of the drawing region.
Furthermore, there is a method in which a shutter is provided in the applying device and the electromagnetic wave is controlled by opening and closing the shutter. However, the method is undesirable because it is necessary for the shutter or a driving mechanism of the shutter to be mounted on a carriage on which the print head or the applying device is mounted, and a weight of the carriage is increased. In addition, in the printing apparatus, it is desired to achieve miniaturization, low cost, low power consumption, resource saving, ease of manufacturing, improvement of usability, long life, improvement of safety during use, and the like.